Dr Jaclyn Pearson

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Dr Jaclyn Pearson

Molecular Microbiologist

Hudson Institute of Medical Research

Disease-causing bacteria are tiny yet complex organisms, like microscopic innovation factories that are constantly evolving to ‘hide’ from our immune systems. Often referred to as ‘superbugs’ they are fast developing resistance to many, previously life-saving antibiotics, leaving us with little-to-no treatment options for life-threatening infections.

A microbiologist by training, Dr Jaclyn Pearson is on a mission to understand how bacteria cause disease in humans and to find new ways to prevent and treat infections worldwide. Jaclyn examines how bacteria use tiny needle-like structures to inject an army of proteins into our cells that shut down our immune response. She has discovered that these protein armies are so unique, they do things that scientists have never seen in nature! Jaclyn harnesses the excitement of these epic discoveries to inspire women in STEM to pursue their passions.

Jaclyn was awarded her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2013 and is currently an NHMRC Career Development Fellow and Group Leader at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research. She has recently had two children with her clinician-researcher wife, and her identification as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community has allowed her to advocate for and mentor many early career queer-identifying individuals in STEM.